By IANS,
New Delhi : Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has convened an all-party meeting on Wednesday on the worsening situation in Jammu where agitation over the issue of transferring land to the Amarnath temple trust has led to violent clashes and curfew in several towns for several weeks.
Meanwhile, a high-level central government team arrived in Jammu to make an assessment of the situation on the directions of the Prime Minister’s Office.
Home Secretary Madhukar Gupta and Defence Secretary Vijay Singh held detailed discussions over the situation in Jammu, where the people have been defying curfews, army flag marches and even police firing to hold demonstrations to demand that land be restored to the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board.
The protests in Jammu region have left seven people dead and several hundreds injured, and life was paralysed amid curfews and shutdowns.
Congress chief Sonia Gandhi Sunday night discussed with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Rajnath Singh the situation in Jammu, Congress sources said. Gandhi, who called up Singh over telephone, urged him to ask BJP cadre to help restore peace in Jammu and also not to politicise the issue, the party sources added.